An IPS Essay By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Note to readers: While the following article is addressed specifically to the Tea Party movement, the principles discussed here are relevant to every organization and movement in support of a cause. Freedom Movement Manifesto: Could We be Campaigning our Way to Defeat? One of the most frequently-asked political questions of our day is, “What will come of the Tea Party movement?” Both the left and the right seem to recognize the potential of this movement, but will this “potential” ultimately result in any substantial impact on … Read More
The Freedom Movement Manifesto
The Freedom Movement Manifesto Note to Readers: While the following article is addressed specifically to the Tea Party movement, the principles discussed here are relevant to every organization and movement in support of a cause. One of the most frequently-asked political questions of our day is, “What will come of the Tea Party movement?” Both the left and the right seem to recognize the potential of this movement, but will this “potential” ultimately result in any substantial impact on America or American politics? The Tea Party movement currently has momentum, but long-term success will require caution and strategy. Here are four … Read More
Reflections on Reading
An IPS Commentary By Jenna R. Hermle Reflections on Reading “The man who will not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” Attributed to Mark Twain, this quotation illustrates an important principle regarding reading: the technical ability to read does a person no good if he does not execute the ability. The capacity to read is an incredible gift, but it does not provide any benefit if it is not practiced. Good Intentions Now readers, if you are anything like me, you probably have continual good intentions of reading, but how many of us actually turn the … Read More
Read Us Our Rights
Read Us Our Rights One of the most important and fundamental principles of government involves a question of origins—not the origin of the species, but the origin of rights. It is difficult to discuss any aspect of government without addressing some question about rights. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy insightfully explains the importance and centrality of our understanding of rights: Rights dominate most modern understandings of what actions are proper and which institutions are just. Rights structure the forms of our governments, the contents of our laws, and the shape of morality as we perceive it. To accept a set of rights is to … Read More
Health Care in America
Health Care in America The following article was originally published in early 1994. At the time that he wrote this article, Mike Winther was the Executive Director of the Society for Handicapped, a California based charity. Although this article was written over a decade ago, we feel that it is still timely and relevant to the health care crisis that is once again front-page news in America. We hope that this re-publishing will be of educational benefit to out current readership. The debate over health care in America is now front page news almost every day. Everyone seems to agree … Read More
Read Us Our Rights
An IPS Essay By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Read Us Our Rights One of the most important and fundamental principles of government involves a question of origins—not the origin of the species, but the origin of rights. It is difficult to discuss any aspect of government without addressing some question about rights. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy insightfully explains the importance and centrality of our understanding of rights: Rights dominate most modern understandings of what actions are proper and which institutions are just. Rights structure the forms of our governments, the contents of our … Read More
A Household Understanding of the Economic Crisis
An IPS Commentary By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies A Household Understanding of the Economic Crisis Despite the “gloom and doom” pronouncement that many commentators are making regarding our current economic situation, the formula for solving our nation’s economic woes is actually very simple. In fact, most average Americans already know the formula—in both a general sense and in detail. The problem is that the majority of Americans who know the solution don’t know that they know the solution. A Grand Deception One of the grandest deceptions in government and economics is the lie that … Read More
Health Care in America
An IPS Essay By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Health Care in America The following article was originally published in early 1994. At the time that he wrote this article, Mike Winther was the Executive Director of the Society for Handicapped, a Modesto, California-based charity. Although this article was written over a decade ago, we feel that it is still timely and relevant to the health care crisis that is once again front-page news in America. We hope this re-publishing will be of educational benefit to our current readership. Introduction The debate over health care … Read More
The Federal Reserve: An Economic and Ethical Disaster
An IPS Essay By Dr. Shawn Ritenour, Professor of Economics at Grove City College The Federal Reserve: An Economic and Ethical Disaster Increasingly whenever tragedy strikes, be it a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina or criminal wickedness such as mass murder, the American masses turn to the state to soothe their anxiety and solve their problems. They often do the same in response to economic disasters, such as the Great Depression and the current economic mess. From the time it became clear that our economy was in a lot of trouble, eyes turned toward Ben Bernanke, Chairman of our … Read More
Equality and Liberty: Friends or Foes?
An IPS Essay By Michael R. Winther Equality and Liberty: Friends or Foes? Equality is an often-cited virtue in our society, but depending on how we define equality, it may be more vice than virtue. What exactly is the equality that we think we value? Before we say that we favor equality, we must first determine what we want to be equal. What does it mean to say that we want equality for mankind? Do we want everyone to be of equal height, equal intelligence, equal talent, or equal wealth? An important premise: human beings have unequal talents Biological equality … Read More